Why use PayPal

People use PayPal because it lets them pay online securely and quickly without handing their card or bank details directly to each merchant. Opening a PayPal account and downloading the app costs nothing.

The main reasons people choose it, as described in the PayPal overview on its help pages and in consumer guides, are listed below.

• Security: PayPal sits between you and the store, so an unfamiliar online seller never sees your raw credit card or bank account numbers.
• Speed at checkout: You add your payment details once, and later purchases only need your PayPal email and password instead of retyping card information.
• Buyer Protection: If a qualifying order never arrives or turns out to be from a fraudulent listing, you can open a dispute with PayPal.
• Wide acceptance: Millions of online shops and merchants around the world offer PayPal as a standard payment option at checkout.
• No fee on domestic personal payments: Consumers are not charged extra when they shop or send money within their own country in the local currency.
• Automatic payments: PayPal can be set up to pay recurring bills and subscriptions automatically.

Before relying on PayPal for international transactions or for selling goods, check the fees that apply to your situation, since the no fee benefit covers domestic consumer activity in the local currency rather than every type of payment.